16ga.com Forum Index
Author Message
<  16ga. General Discussion  ~  Store/display guns vertical vs horizontal?
Dannyboy175
PostPosted: Thu Mar 02, 2017 9:21 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Mar 2013
Posts: 162
Location: York, PA

I posted a question before about suggestions for tables for gun cleaning and maintenance for a small room in my basement that I'm dedicating for my various hunting, shooting, etc. Not a place I show off to people, but a simple, secure retreat to some of my favorite things.

I'm trying to decide how to store my guns in this room. Storing them horizontally has a better aesthetic, I think, but storing vertically is more space efficient. I'm also wondering about whether resting on the butt wouldn't be less potential for damage or wear over time than resting the forarm and stock on a rack.

Do any of you have any input here?

_________________
Browning A5 Sweet Sixteen
Browning Citori Superlite Feather 16 ga.
Merkel 1620 (straight stock and single trigger)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
AmericanMeet
PostPosted: Thu Mar 02, 2017 9:31 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 26 Apr 2010
Posts: 3172
Location: NCWa

The main issue I've considered in positioning guns is to try to keep the wood above the metal, to avoid gravity drawing oil/grease from the metal into the wood. so generally the guns appear to be upside-down.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Dannyboy175
PostPosted: Fri Mar 03, 2017 6:07 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Mar 2013
Posts: 162
Location: York, PA

AmericanMeet wrote:
The main issue I've considered in positioning guns is to try to keep the wood above the metal, to avoid gravity drawing oil/grease from the metal into the wood. so generally the guns appear to be upside-down.


Interesting suggestion... Does that mean that you store them vertically with the barrel down or horizontally with the barrel/receiver resting on the rack? I guess there would be no metal in the stock to rest on, but then again no oil or grease either.

_________________
Browning A5 Sweet Sixteen
Browning Citori Superlite Feather 16 ga.
Merkel 1620 (straight stock and single trigger)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
steve f
PostPosted: Fri Mar 03, 2017 7:33 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 02 Nov 2015
Posts: 147
Location: N. Georgia

I store mine in a gun cabinet muzzle down. Aside from oil/solvent not getting into the buttstock, it keeps recoil pads from compressing.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
canvasback
PostPosted: Fri Mar 03, 2017 9:27 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 12 Mar 2012
Posts: 684
Location: Ontario

Dannyboy175 wrote:
AmericanMeet wrote:
The main issue I've considered in positioning guns is to try to keep the wood above the metal, to avoid gravity drawing oil/grease from the metal into the wood. so generally the guns appear to be upside-down.


Interesting suggestion... Does that mean that you store them vertically with the barrel down or horizontally with the barrel/receiver resting on the rack? I guess there would be no metal in the stock to rest on, but then again no oil or grease either.


Most collectors who comment on the doublegun forums store muzzle down for the oil reason. When you start messing around with average 80-100-120 year old guns, just about the first thing that usually needs doing is a stock refinish that included removing the soaked in oil from the head of the stock and repairing the damage that it has caused or encouraged.

Once I learned how pervasive a problem this is, I immediately reconfigured the custom racks in my safe to accept the guns muzzle down.

_________________
1921 Pieper 29" 6 lbs 10 oz
2003 Citori White Lightning 26" 6 lbs 10 oz
1932 Husqvarna 310AS 29.5" 6 lbs 7 oz
1925 Ferlach 29" 6 lbs 7 oz
1923 Greifelt 29" 6 lbs 1 oz
1928 Simson 29.5" 6 lbs
1893 Lindner Daly FW 28” 5 lb 11oz
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
tramroad28
PostPosted: Fri Mar 03, 2017 10:47 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 20 Jul 2011
Posts: 625
Location: Ohio..where ruffed grouse were

Vertical....resting on buttstock.
The scatterguns look at home that way, to me.
My 101 year-old Fox looks as comfortably nested as I do in a barcolounger.
Simple answer, do not over-oil.....and a silicon cloth works well on the exterior surfaces.
No problems ensue unless one searches for issues.

I do suspect that over-oiling and the 30 wt perhaps once used was more an issue in the past than now and I also suspect that any degradation of the, if any, recoil pad is unlikely to occur in our ownership lifetimes.
Or, stick the scattergun in any position that gives you pleasure and accept the negatives possible with each choice.

IF...a particular scattergun has some form of issue requiring special storage then one would, of course, follow the requirements.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
16'er
PostPosted: Fri Mar 03, 2017 11:35 am  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 08 Oct 2006
Posts: 1393
Location: Tappahannock, Virginia

I started using Ballistol a few years ago, safe for wood metal and leather. It's not the worlds ultimate clp, but it is good enough for me. There may other clp type lubes that have the same compatibility out there too. Maybe Froglube? My guns never see salt air, and are usually sunny day service. Wiping down the less used guns every blue moon seems to keep them happy.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
fin2feather
PostPosted: Fri Mar 03, 2017 12:33 pm  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 06 Aug 2004
Posts: 2171
Location: Kansas High Plains

tramroad28 wrote:
Vertical....resting on buttstock.
The scatterguns look at home that way, to me.
My 101 year-old Fox looks as comfortably nested as I do in a barcolounger.
Simple answer, do not over-oil.....and a silicon cloth works well on the exterior surfaces.
No problems ensue unless one searches for issues.

I do suspect that over-oiling and the 30 wt perhaps once used was more an issue in the past than now and I also suspect that any degradation of the, if any, recoil pad is unlikely to occur in our ownership lifetimes.
Or, stick the scattergun in any position that gives you pleasure and accept the negatives possible with each choice.

IF...a particular scattergun has some form of issue requiring special storage then one would, of course, follow the requirements.


This. I was gonna say it; glad you did.

_________________
I feel a warm spot in my heart when I meet a man whiling away an afternoon...and stopping to chat with him, hear the sleek lines of his double gun whisper "Sixteen." - Gene Hill, Shotgunner's Notebook
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
sneem
PostPosted: Fri Mar 03, 2017 3:09 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 19 Apr 2008
Posts: 477

I store all mine resting on the muzzle due to the oil seepage issue. But I have also found that having the stocks up in the air seems to lessen the damage to the wood from safe "kisses".

_________________
Many places remain undiscovered. Some because no one has ever been there. Others because no one has ever come back.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
skeettx
PostPosted: Fri Mar 03, 2017 3:18 pm  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 15 Apr 2007
Posts: 9455
Location: Amarillo, Texas

Yes, yes muzzle down is the proper way

BUT they look much better the other way in the gun vault room



_________________
,
USAF RET 1971-95
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
billwolfe
PostPosted: Fri Mar 03, 2017 8:19 pm  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 02 Dec 2013
Posts: 13

In a locked cabinet or safe, out of sight to casual guests, vertically, muzzle down, in a gunsock to avoid little accidents n dings. +1 on Ballistol!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Dannyboy175
PostPosted: Fri Mar 03, 2017 8:54 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Mar 2013
Posts: 162
Location: York, PA

billwolfe wrote:
In a locked cabinet or safe, out of sight to casual guests, vertically, muzzle down, in a gunsock to avoid little accidents n dings. +1 on Ballistol!


The guy at my local mom and pop gun shop said that you should never store a gun inside a gun sock, as the fabric would retain moisture. I kind of thought it was odd, because they market the gun socks just for this kind of thing. What is the real scoop?

_________________
Browning A5 Sweet Sixteen
Browning Citori Superlite Feather 16 ga.
Merkel 1620 (straight stock and single trigger)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
bbrown
PostPosted: Fri Mar 03, 2017 9:41 pm  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 12 Jun 2008
Posts: 369
Location: Kansas

I am a muzzle down guy too, and ballistol is my go to oil for all of my guns. It may look silly to have them "upside down", but it seems to really keep the oil out of the stocks and the dust out of the barrels. As a kid all of our guns were horizontal in the tops of closets, but that was more to keep them away from little hands.

I want to know how Mike keeps all those guns from rusting with all the drool in that room.
Very Happy

Never get tired of a glimps into your gunvault!

-Ben

_________________
1 Tim 1:15
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Dannyboy175
PostPosted: Sat Mar 04, 2017 8:40 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Mar 2013
Posts: 162
Location: York, PA

skeettx wrote:
Yes, yes muzzle down is the proper way

BUT they look much better the other way in the gun vault room




That is quite impressive. I wouldn't have enough wall space to store all of those guns in my little room.

_________________
Browning A5 Sweet Sixteen
Browning Citori Superlite Feather 16 ga.
Merkel 1620 (straight stock and single trigger)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Dannyboy175
PostPosted: Sat Mar 04, 2017 8:46 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Mar 2013
Posts: 162
Location: York, PA

bbrown wrote:
I am a muzzle down guy too, and ballistol is my go to oil for all of my guns. It may look silly to have them "upside down", but it seems to really keep the oil out of the stocks and the dust out of the barrels. As a kid all of our guns were horizontal in the tops of closets, but that was more to keep them away from little hands.
-Ben


OK, I will take everyone's advice about the Ballistol. I will also scrap the horizontal idea, but I'm still not convinced about muzzle down. It would seem to be unstable, even if I could get over the aesthetics of the situation. I'll have to look into examples/photos on the internet.

_________________
Browning A5 Sweet Sixteen
Browning Citori Superlite Feather 16 ga.
Merkel 1620 (straight stock and single trigger)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
All times are GMT - 7 Hours

View next topic
View previous topic
Page 1 of 3
Goto page 1, 2, 3  Next
16ga.com Forum Index  ~  16ga. General Discussion

Post new topic   Reply to topic


 
Jump to:  

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum




Powered by phpBB and NoseBleed v1.09